IFAT Moves to a Two-Year Cycle

IFAT Moves to a Two-Year Cycle

IFAT, the 16th International Trade Fair for Water –Sewage – Refuse – Recycling, will now be taking place Sept. 13 to 17, 2010, rather than spring 2011. From 2012 onwards, IFAT will be returning to its spring slot. The 2012 dates have set for May 7 to 11, 2012. From then onwards, IFAT will be taking place regularly every two years in spring. By shortening the cycle for this fair, Messe München is responding to the needs of the growing environmental market and to calls from within the industry to further expand the leading international position of IFAT.

IFAT is not only an important marketplace for the strongly export-oriented German companies manufacturing and marketing environmental technologies and services. For years it has also been attracting an ever-growing number of companies from abroad—at the last fair in 2008, a record number of foreign exhibitors (from 44 different countries) took part, and trade visitor numbers from abroad also rose strongly (163 countries of origin).

"The need for information and as a result for investment is accelerating worldwide, as the expanding market for environmental technology is demonstrating. By shortening the cycle, we are responding to this increasing demand. At the same time we are strengthening IFAT as a leading international fair for the sector, against the background of a rising number of environmental trade fairs in many countries," said Eugen Egetenmeir, a member of the Management Board of Messe München.

"IFAT is a highly important meeting place for the international market. Shortening it to a two-year cycle is an important step for intensifying customer relations and becoming an international must-attend event for decision-makers in the political and commercial sectors—in the interest of exhibiting companies and their customers alike," said Dr Johannes F. Kirchhoff, chairman of the IFAT Advisory Board.

As a result of the changes, IFAT CHINA, which has taken place every two years in autumn, will be moved to July 2010 to avoid a clash of dates with IFAT in Munich.